CES Live 3: Even More HD News

Last year at CES, the theme swirling throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center was High Definition. Amid the throngs of HD TVs and camcorders was the promise of a hi-def DVD player for the American market. None of these promises materialized. This year, the HD tune is still playing. But this time high-definition DVD players from several makers are actually going to arrive.

Last year at CES, the theme swirling throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center was High Definition. Amid the throngs of HD TVs and camcorders was the promise of a hi-def DVD player for the American market. None of these promises materialized. This year, the HD tune is still playing. But this time high-definition DVD players from several makers are actually going to arrive. In the first four press conferences I attended, each maker offered a high-def player with a price AND a release date (with one exception).

Thomson's HDV5000 HD DVD player will be shipping in the spring for $499.

Toshiba's aggressive digital TV campaign includes two HD DVD players: the HD-XA1 and HD-A1, which will display HD DVD content at 720p or 1080i. Look for both in March at $800 and $500, respectively.

Contributing to the ongoing HD DVD versus Blu-ray feud, Pioneer offers the BDP-HD1--with 1080p output resolution--for $1800 in May. Couple that with the company's 50-in. PRO-FHD1 Plasma Monitor, with its full range of HD capability (720p, 1080i and 1080p). This mindblowing monitor will be available in June for $10,000.

LG promised a Blu-ray player sometime in the spring, saying the device was undergoing a few last-minute changes. That got a few chuckles.

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